While it is a well known fact that a key battle in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 took place in Dalian, the city was spared any direct military action in the later Second World War. The city was defended by a ring of mountain fortresses against an amphibious invasion that never came. Yet Dalian, known as Dairen at the time, earned the distinction as a site of Allied bombing in the closing days of the war. This obscure and forgotten historical footnote has not been recorded in any book about Dalian but there are clear eyewitness accounts of the event.

“One day, the American bomb hit the downtown office building and half of it collapsed.” from the memoir Dalny by Tatiana Erohina.

On 26 September 1944, a squadron of American B-29s from the 40th Bombardment Group flew to Anshan, China on a mission to destroy the strategic industry of Showa steel works. Due to technical complications, two bombers were unable to follow the main group and instead headed for the secondary target of Dairen. A series of weather and mechanical problems would deliver an amazing and successful result, best summarized in the words of the men who actually participated in the action.

“I remember the mission against Anshan when we bombed the alternate target at Dairen. That mission was one of the things that helped to make Frank McKinney something of a legend as a bombardier.” Robert L. Hall, Central Fire Control Gunner.

“As I remember the Anshan/Dairen mission, we lost our formation near Anshan, and had to go to the secondary target at Dairen, Manchuria… At the last moment, the bombardier said he saw some buildings through a hole in the clouds, and that he would take over. I distinctly remember looking at a big, square building when the bombs made a direct hit on it.” John Z. Topolski, Radar Operator.

“I felt a great disappointment for not being able to bomb Anshan… As we approached the secondary target at Dairen, I had a sinking feeling that we would have to bomb by radar. Then we had another disappointment when our radar equipment malfunctioned and the radar operator couldn’t identify the target. I was frustrated, and even though we had to get rid of the bombs, I was determined to do something with them other than dropping them at random… We had no idea of the importance of this target to the Japanese… What a great satisfaction it was to me, luckily hitting the target and not having to just dump the bombs somewhere to get them off the plane.” Frank W. McKinney, Bombardier.

“A memo to my old China-based B-29 gang: Remember your two plane “accidental” raid on Dairen last September? Well chums, the Japanese are still rocking on their heels over that one. They think you must have done it with mirrors. Remember how the B-29’s raided the Anshan steel works that day, and how two Superforts dumped their bombs on the Dairen waterfront and warehouse all because they were unable to reach the Anshan targets so many miles farther north? Well, I found out when I landed here with 7th fleet units that the eight story head office building of the Anshan Steel Co., right in the heart of Dairen’s modern business district, was sliced off in that half pint raid and not a single adjacent building was hit. The Japanese are still going around talking to themselves. They think you did it on purpose but they can’t figure out how a B-29 could pick off that single Anshan company building in Dairen with such precision, while the main force wrecked the steel works so far away.” Accidental Raid Still Puzzles Dairen Japanese in Manchuria (1944) by John Grover

The Historical Society of Dalian provides an open forum where resident and foreign historians can exchange information and contribute to the public record. The HSD promotes a scholarly view of history that enriches public understanding. The Society hosts an annual conference and quarterly seminars.

Events In Dalian (1840-1945)

The origin of Dalian dates back approximately 6,000 years ago when the “Sushen” people began to settle the area.

Dalian was an important port as early as the 6th century AD. In early Tang Dynasty (640 A.D), Dalian was known as Sanshan Pu and later Qingni Pu.

In 1371, the Ming Dynasty Emperor conquered the Port. Dalian was called “Qingni Wa”, which is still the name of a downtown section near the Dalian Railway Station.

It was occupied (1858) by the British and was fortified as a naval base by the Chinese in the 1880s. It was attacked and briefly held by the Japanese in 1895. Subsequently it was granted, with adjacent parts of the peninsula, to Russia as part of the Liaodong lease.

While under Russian control (1898-1905), The area south of Dalian was renamed Port Arthur. It was valued by the Russians for its year-round access to the Pacific Ocean and was extensively refortified for naval use.

Dalian was transformed during the same period from a minor fishing port into a modern commercial port and was given the Russian name Dalny (Distant), from the Dalianwan Gulf (Talienwan in historical literature).

The battle of Dairen (Dalian) took place on May 30 ,1904 , during the Russo-Japanese War. The battle was won by Japanese forces under the command of general Hikato.

The Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), transferred the Liaodong territory to the Japanese, who renamed it Kwangtung. The tactics used on the Russian Fleet, at anchor in Port Arthur during this war, would be modified and applied years later to the attack on the American Fleet at Pearl Harbor

Port Arthur, renamed Ryojun, became an important Japanese naval base and was (1905-1937) the administrative center of the territory.

Dalian, given the Japanese name Dairen (as the Kanji characters are pronounced), was enlarged and modernized. It became the capital of Kwangtung in 1937 and developed rapidly in the 1930s and early 1940s as the main port and logistical center for Japanese-controlled Manchuria.

Following the defeat of Japan in World War II, the ports of Dalian and Lushun (Port Arthur) were placed under joint Soviet-Chinese control in 1945. They were returned to full Chinese sovereignty in 1955.

Dalian and Lushun remained as two separate cities and later were combined into the City of Luda. In 1981, Dalian became the official name of the City of Luda.

Dalian became a center of heavy industry in the late 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s it was developed as China’s leading petroleum port.

Today, Dalian is the main commercial port for Northeast China.

One Hundred Years of History:

1840 Spring
Britian warships probe the costal areas of Dalian many times during the First Opium War.

1857 Summer
A joint Fleet from Britian and France invaded Dalian Bay and established logistical positions.

1860 May
A squadron of British warships invaded Qingniwa, Heshang Island, and Dagushan Mountain and other areas around the Dalian Coast.

1860 June 21
127 Britian ships with more than 11,000 soldiers landed at Dalian Bay and made raids against Lushun Port, Yangtouwa and other strategic locations. They left on July 26.

1880 June
Qing Government establish the North Naval Fleet at Lushun Port.

1883 March 21
Fort battlements on Huangjinshan of Lushun were armed with seven heavy cannons and eight 12 inch guns.

May
The construction of Lushun Shipyard began.

1884 June
Three infantry battalions from Korea were transfered to defend Jinzhou, Dalian Bay, and Lushun Port.

October
First telegram line in China was opened from Shanhaiguan to Lushun (via Yingkou).

1885 February
First international telegram line in China was opened from Lushun to Seoul of Korea (via Fenghuang City).

February
Twelve cavalry and infantry battalions from the Ming Army arrived to re-enforce the defense of Dalian Port.

1888 November
Lushun became the first city in China to build a running water system. It was originally developed to guarantee a water supply for Lushun dock and military forces.

November
Fortress construction began at Heshang Island, Hauangshan Mountain, Laolongtou, and Xujiashan and were completed by early 1894.

November
A French contractor began to construct the big dock in Lushun, with a plan to finish the project in 30 months.

1894 August 1
Both China and Japan declared war against each other at the same time.

September 14
Ten battalions from the Ming Army were sent to defend Dalian Bay.

September 17
The “Grand Huaihai Battle” began between Japanese and Chinese Naval fleets.

September 18
Seven injured warships of China’s North Navy Fleet came to the Lushun shipyard for repairs.

October 24
The Japanese Second Army landed at Huayuankou of Zhuanghe and invaded Jinzhou and Lushun.

November 6
The Japanese Army attacked and occupied Jinzhou City.

November 7
The Japanese Army attacked and occupied all forts along Dalian Bay.

November 21
All Qing Army fortresses along the west, middle and east lines of Lushun fell into enemy hands. Japanese trooped occupied Lushun Part and killed thousands of innocent people in 4 days and 3 nights. This Lushun massacere tragedy shocked the whole world and was condemned by world opinion. For further information, see the book: On The Great Highway.

1895 January 18
The Japanese Joint Naval Fleet left Dalian Port with its troops for miltary tasks in Shandomg Province.

April 17
The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed, which surrendered Chinese soveregnty under humiliating terms.

December 25
Under pressure from European powers to give up territory taken in the war, the Japanese Government allowed the Qing Government to reclaim Liaodong Peninsula for a price 30 million liang of silver. Japan dropped its claim to the territory and its troops withdrew from Dalian.

1896 January 13
An armored Russian ship arrived and anchored outside of Lushun Port. It claimed neutral status but was not allowed to dock at the port.

1897 December 17
Five Russian warships invaded Lushun Port and later Dalian Bay, claiming the land as a prelude to occupation.

1898 March 27
Under further threats of force by Czarist forces, a treaty was signed to lease Lushun and Dalian for 25 years to Russia.

March 28
A Russian prince led troops to formally occupy territorial positions at Huangjinshan in Lushun, Dalian Bay, and Heshang Island.

May 7
Czarist Russia forced the Qing Government into signing a new treaty to expand the time and rights of its leaes of Lushun and Dalian.

1899 July
The Russian Czar Nicholas II approved construction of Dalian Port and the city of Dalian, in the areas of East and West Qingniwa. Dalian Port was declared a “Free Port”. The city design was based on a Russian engineer’s idea to emulate Paris.

1900 May
Additional fortresses were added in Lushun to protect the harbor from Naval bombardment.

June
Russian Army and Naval troops from Lushun Port were sent to help put down the Boxer Rebellion in Tianjin and Beijing. These forces served as the vanguard of the Eight-Power Allied Forces.

1903 January 10
The railway project form Harbin to Lushun Port was completed.

1904 February 8
The joint fleet of the Japanese Navy launched a sneak attack at night against the Russian Pacific Fleet at Lushun Port. This was the prologue to the Russo-Japanese War.

February 9
Russian declared war against Japan.

Feburary 10
Japan declared war against Russia.

February 24 – May 3
Japanese troops tried to block Lushun Port.

April 12
The Russian Flagship hit Japanese mines outside Lushun Port. The commander of the Russian Fleet and 656 sailors died at sea.

May 5
The Japanese Second Army landed in the Houershi area, near Xingshutun of Jinzhou.

May 26
Japanese troopes occupied Nanshan Fortress in Jinzhou at a cost of more than 5000 soldiers. This strategic battle cut supply lines of Russian troops in Lushun. Japanese Senior General Nogi Marisuke lost his first son at this battle.

May 30
Dalian Bay fell into the hands of Japanese troops.

May 31
Russian troops in Dalian burned their own capital building and caused other destruction to cover their withdrawal to Lushun.

June 6
More Japanese troops landed at Dalian Bay. General Nogi Marisuke led 50,000 Japanese troops of the Third Army to attack Lushun.

August 10 -18
The Russian Fleet attempted to break the Japanese blockade of Lushun, along with three ships sent from Vladivostok. The Russian ships were annihilated.

August 19
General Nogi Marisuke launched the first offensive against Russian fortified positions in Lushun. The attack lasted five days but failed.

September 19
Japanese troops launched a second offensive against Russian fortified positions in Lushun.

October 25
Japanese troops launched a third and still unsuccessful offensive.

November 19
The Seventh Japanese Division landed at Dalian and joined the Third Army, increasing the troops strength around Lushun to 100,000.

November 26
Japanese troops lauched a fourth offensive against Russian fortified positions in Lushun.

December 5
Japanese troops conqured the Russian West commanding elevation, known as Height 203, along the at cost of more than 10,000 solders. Japanese Senior General Nogi Marisuke lost his second son at this battle.

December 6 – 9
Japanese troops attacked and destroyed the Russian Naval fleed blocked inside Lushun Port with heavy artillery guns.

Decmeber 15
Several senior Russian Commanders were killed by the Japanese bombardment of the North Fort headquarters in East Jiguanshan.

December 18
Japanese troops occupied the North Fort in East Jiguanshan Mountain. Other major fortresses along this defense chain fell to Japanese forces over the next two weeks.

1905 January 1
Japanese troops captured the Russian position on the East commanding elevation. Russian troops declared their surrender.

January 2
Representatives from Japan and Russia signed the surrender treaty of all Russian forces.

January 9
Japanese toops set up Fort Headquarters in Lushun.

February 11
The Japanese Provisional Authority changed the Dalian’s original Russian name of Dalny to Dairen.

September 5
Japan and Russia formally signed the Portsmouth Treaty. Russia transferred its lease rights of Lushun and Dalian, as well as other railway rights in South Manchura to Japan.

1906 September 1
The Japanese Government declared Dalian port as a “Free Port.”

September 10
The U.S. diplomatic consul was established in Dalian.

December 26
The South Manchuria Railway Company was established in Tokyo.

1907 March 5
Headquarters of the South Manchuria Railway moved form Tokyo to Dalian.

July
The Dalian Ship Plant of Kawasaki Shipyard (the predecessor of today’s Dalian shipyard) was established.

July
The Lushun prison, built in 1907 by the Russia, was expanded by 85 to 253 cells, capable of holding up to 2000 prisoners.

1909 August 9
The Trolley bus line from Dazhan Bridge (today’s Dalian Port) to the Electrical Park (the area West of New Mart downtown) was completed.

1910 November 26
The Shanhekou Railway Factory of the South Manchuria Railway (predecessor of today’s Dalian Rolling Stock Plant) was completed.

1920 May
Baixue Han was born in Dairen, Manchuria. The life of the illegitimate girl of mixed Japanese and Chinese parentage was detailed in the book: Blue Sky Red Tears.

1927 July
Zhou Shui Zi Airport was completed.

1937 June 1
The new Dalian Train station was completed.

1942 May 7
Wang Jingwei fled to Dalian and met with Pu Yi at Changchu.

1944 July 29
US B-29 bombers flew 70 sorties over Dalian and Anshan.

1945 August 22
Soviet troops entered Dalian and disarmed Japanese troops. Dalian was liberated.

November 25
Luda Municipal Government was established.

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Data and research 2002 – 2008 © copyright SongLi and DiscoverDalian.com.
All Rights Reserved.

Events In Jinzhou (Dalian) (598-1987)

Over a millennia of ancient history remains preserved in Dalian, a little known fact to most tourists and locals.

Cheolli Jangseong, the Thousand “Li” (*1 Li = 500 meters, or half a kilometer) Long Wall, refers to two famous military structures in ancient Korean history. The 11th century defensive border wall built during the Goryeo Dynasty in modern-day North Korea is the most common reference for the name. However, the title is also used for the 7th century earthen structure built by the Koguryo (Goguryeo) Kingdom in Northeastern China.

The Great Wall of Korea in Dalian

This older wall from the 7th century stretched for 500 km from Northern Manchuria to the Bohai Bay, passing through Jilin and Liaoning Provinces. Bisa Fortress (known as Beisha in Mandarin) was constructed in the modern-day Jinzhou District of Dalian. Portions of the original ancient wall remain on and around Dahei Mountain, and can be viewed by those willing to make the extended climb.

Cheolli Jangseong was constructed by the Koguryo (Goguryeo) Kingdom to defend its Manchurian frontier territory against incursions by the Tang Dynasty from China. Ironically, the segments of the Great Wall of China were designed to protect against an invasion from the Machu (Jurchens) who inherited vast portions of the old Koguryo (Goguryeo) Kingdom in Manchuria.

A Brief Timeline:

Between 598 – 614
The Koguryo (Goguryeo)–Sui Wars were fought between the Sui Dynasty of China and the Koguryo (Goguryeo) Kingdom. Several of the most intense campaigns took place on Manchurian soil.

From 614
The Sui Dynasty of China captured Dahei Mountain in the Jinzhou District of modern Dalian.

From 618
The Sui Dynasty had lost the war and collapsed, allowing the Koguryo (Goguryeo) Kingdom to solidify its expansion. At that time its territory encompassed the Northern and Central parts of the Korean Peninsula, including Southern Manchuria (Liaoning Province) and the Southern Russian Maritime Province (Primorsky Krai).

From 631
King Yeongryu began construction of a defensive boarder wall along the Kingdom’s frontier, to defend against incursions from the Northwest by the Tang Dynasty (who replaced the Sui Dynasty) from China.

From 647
The defensive wall, known as Cheolli Jangseong (The Great Wall of Korea) was completed, with a primary fortification on top of Dahei Mountain in the Jinzhou District of modern Dalian. Bisa (Beisha) Castle is considered by historians to have been one of the possible capital cities of the Province.

From 668
The Tang Dynasty of China was able to reoccupy East Liaoning and the area of Jinzhou came under its jurisdiction from that time.

From 1117
The Jinzhou territory was upgraded from a county to a state by the Jin Dynasty.

From 1284
The Yuan Dynasty established an Imperial Office of the government in Jinzhou. A garrison was stationed there in support, which also increased the households and population for the area.

From 1419
The Ming Dynasty sent its East Liaoning Army to reinforce Jinzhou against Japanese incursions and prevented subsequent invasion attempts.

Between 1734 – 1843
The Qing Dynasty continued to develop resources in Jinzhou, which had become a strategically important location and center of trade and commerce.

From 1894
During the First Sino-Japanese War Jinzhou fell with little resistance. Because of this defeat, Japanese forces were able to quickly capture Dalian without firing a shot.

From 1895
Japan was forced to relinquish its captured territories in Liaoning Province under terms of the War Treaty.

From 1898
Russia was given a 25-year lease on Liaodoing Peninsula and established a forward naval station at Port Arthur.

From 1904
The Russo-Japanese War began with many land conflicts across the Dalian region. The Battle of Nanshan in Jinzhou was a turning point in the conflict that allowed Japan to push Russian forces all the way South to Port Arthur.

From 1905
Jinzhou became part of the territorial concessions to the Japanese, and became a colonial of Japan along with Port Arthur and Dalian.

From 1945
Jinzhou was liberated by Russian forces and was co-administered until after 1955.

From 1987
Jinzhou became the sixth administrative district of Dalian.

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Data and research 2002 – 2008 © copyright SongLi and DiscoverDalian.com.
All Rights Reserved.

Events In Manchuria (1900-52)

Japan and Russia long struggled for control of this rich, strategically important region. Japan tried to seize the Liao-tung peninsula in 1895, but was forestalled by the Triple Intervention. From 1898 to 1904 Russia was dominant. As a result of a Russo-Chinese alliance against Japan, the Russians built Harbin, the naval base at Port Arthur, the commercial center of Dalny (Dalian) and the Chinese Eastern Railroad. Japan, after victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5), took control of Port Arthur, Dalny (renamed Dairen) and the Southern half of Manchuria, limiting Russian influence to the North. Chiefly through the South Manchurian Railroad, Japan developed the region’s economy. From 1918 to 1931 the warlords Chang Tso-lin and Chang Hsüeh-liang controlled Chinese military power in Manchuria.

Japan occupied Manchuria in 1931–32, when Chinese military resistance, sapped by civil war, was weak. The seizure of Manchuria was, in effect, an unofficial declaration of war on China. Manchuria was a base for Japanese aggression in North China and a buffer region for Japanese-controlled Korea. In 1932, Japan annexed Manchuria and formed it as Manchukuo, an independent nation that was in truth a puppet state. The Japanese developed the cities of Dairen (Dalian), Anshan, Fushun, Mukden (Shenyang), and Harbin areas into a huge industrial complex of metallurgical, coal, petroleum, and chemical industries.

A Brief Timeline:

1900 Nov 09
Russia completed its occupation of Manchuria.

1904 Feb 04
Russia offered Korea to Japan and defended its right to occupy Manchuria.

1904 Feb 06
Japan’s foreign minister severed all ties with Russia, citing delaying tactics in negotiations over Manchuria.

1905 Jan 27
Russian General Kuropatkin took the offensive in Manchuria. The Japanese under General Oyama suffered heavy casualties.

1905 Feb 27
Japanese pushed Russians back in Manchuria, and cross the Sha River.

1905 Mar 05
Russians began to retreat from Mukden in Manchuria.

1907 Mar 22
Russians troops completed the evacuation of Manchuria in the face of advancing Japanese forces.

1910 Jan 21
Japan rejected the American proposal to neutralize ownership of the Manchurian Railway.

1928 Jun 03
Manchurian warlord Chian Tso-Lin died as a result of a bomb blast set off by the Japanese, who were planning to invade and claim Manchuria.

1928
The Japanese army unilaterally instigated armed clashes in China’s Manchuria region to justify full-scale intervention.

1929 Sep 21
Fighting between China and the Soviet Union broke out along the Manchurian border.

1929 Nov 18
Stalin sent troops to Manchuria.

1929 Dec 22
Soviet troops left Manchuria after a truce was reached with the Chinese over the Eastern Railway dispute.

1931 Sep 18
The Mukden Incident was initiated by the Japanese Kwantung Army in Mukden, without its own government’s consent. It involved an explosion along the Japanese-controlled South Manchurian Railway. It was soon followed by the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the eventual establishment of the Japanese-dominated state of Manchukuo to ensure a supply of natural resources. The neutrality of the area, and the ability of Japan to defend its colony in Korea, was threatened in the 1920s by efforts at unification of China. Within three months Japanese troops had spread out throughout Manchuria, an occupation that finally ended at the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945.

1931 Sep 18
Japan took Manchuria and renamed it Manchukuo.

1931 Sep 19
Japanese troops conquer Mukden, South Manchuria.

1931 Nov 20
Japan and China rejected the League of Council terms for Manchuria at Geneva.

1932 Jan 02
Japanese forces in Manchuria set up a puppet government known as Manchukuo.

1932 Feb 18
Manchurian independence was formally declared.

1932 Jan 31
The Soviet premier told Japan to get out of Manchuria.

1945 Aug 16
U.S. Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright, who was taken prisoner by the Japanese on Corregidor on May 6, 1942 was released from a POW camp in Manchuria by U.S. troops.

1948 Nov 01
Mao’s Red army conquered Mukden, Manchuria.

1952 Nov 29
A CIA spy plane with John T. Downey (22) and Richard G. Fecteau (25) was shot down over Manchuria. The 2 men were captured and spent 20 years in a Chinese prison.

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Data and research 2002 – 2008 © copyright SongLi and DiscoverDalian.com.
All Rights Reserved.

When Zhang Yimou directed the 2000 art-house film Happy Times, based on the novel Shifu Yue Lai Yue Youmo by Mo Yan, the city of Dalian was used extensively for exterior locations.

The downtown area of Dalian, and the Special Economic Zone (Kaifa Qu) in the Northern district of Metro Dalian were the two primary areas featured in the film. The movie does not make a point to show these areas clearly, but they are easily to recognize even with the numerous developments since it was filmed.

The actress Dong Jie, who stars as the blind girl that the story centers on, was also born and raised in Dalian.

This link at discoverdalian.com provides a google map reference with a frame capture from the movie.